Testimonies from the U.S. Field

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Long-time Awana commander leaves behind legacy of transformed lives  

After influencing countless children and youth as Awana commander for 41 years at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Miami, Oklahoma, Keith Wiyninger Jr. went home to be with the Lord on June 25. Keith served faithfully as commander for over 40 years.

For the last 13 years, Keith and his wife, Ardith, and their son, Stevee, also traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to minister to the children of Casa Hogar Orphanage. But his greatest legacy will be his dedication to leading kids and parents alike to Jesus Christ through Awana.

“Reaching people for Christ was Keith's passion,” said Awana missionary James Cavanaugh. “It wasn't unusual to get a call from him saying, ‘We've got a church up this way that needs to start Awana.’ He didn't just give a church some information and hope that they would call; he called us himself to make sure that the churches he talked with got all of the information they needed to start a club. He will be greatly missed.”

Leader goes the extra mile to disciple T&T girls

I let my girls know at the beginning of the year that I intend to work through a handbook just like they are. They get excited at the prospect of taking turns “signing off” my handbook. This has encouraged them throughout the year to finish their books as they see me working alongside them. I even have one clubber who is completing the Gold and Silver sections with me.

In addition, I have taken the opportunity to have various outings throughout the year to give our groups a real cohesiveness. As I look out and see society falling apart, I become more determined not only to share the gospel with these girls but to build a bond with them.

I have seen many churched kids hit those teen years and step away from the Lord because they find the world tantalizing. What a tragedy. May the Lord help us to see the need to disciple and bond with the youth in our churches.

Lynne Gillheeney
Cornerstone Church
Warwick, RI

Family matters: how a church used Awana to win a boy, his mom and grandma to Christ

Learn how Awana can partner with your church and parents to raise kids to know, love and serve Christ! 

Deby Ammons was visiting her daughter in Ohio when she decided to shop at the local Target store. As the cashier, Joyce, scanned her items, she perked up when she saw Deby’s Awana jacket.

“We have Awana!” she said.

Deby learned that Joyce was from St. Claire Baptist Church and that this was her first year with Awana in Ohio, though she had previously been involved with Awana when she lived Michigan. Joyce told Deby an encouraging Awana story that made her day. 

A boy named Charlie
At the beginning of the club year, a fifth-grade boy named Charlie who suffered from behavioral issues attended the church’s T&T club, the Awana program for grades three to six. Charlie came to know the Lord as his Savior through Awana but later confessed to his leader that he couldn’t read. This is why he had trouble passing his handbook sections.

The T&T leader’s wife volunteered to tutor him outside of club. Slowly but surely, Charlie improved in his reading, behavior and in passing sections. 
 
Easter rolled around, and the pastor of the church had a large cross erected at the front of the altar. During the service, Joyce said she could hear two ladies behind her whispering and sniffling as the pastor invited people to come forward to trust Christ to forgive their sins. Joyce looked up and both women were kneeling at the cross, weeping and praying.

Charlie’s mom and grandmother
“They both accepted Christ as their Savior that day,” Joyce said. “The ladies were Charlie’s mom and grandmother!” 
 
A week later, Charlie showed up at club, but seemed downhearted. Joyce asked him what was wrong and he said he had written his dad a letter but didn’t know if he should mail it. 

A letter to Dad
Joyce recalled that her pastor had been teaching about “Letters from Dad” so she asked him if he would talk to Charlie. He immediately left his Bible study group to help out. When he talked to Charlie, he found out that the boy’s dad had deserted the family when he was small. 

“I don’t need to know what is in the letter, but why are you concerned about whether or not to mail it?” he asked Charlie. 

“I wrote my dad to tell him that I have forgiven him,” Charlie replied. 

The pastor assured him that his dad would appreciate a letter of this kind. Charlie went back to club happy. The pastor told Joyce to come and get him anytime an Awana child had a need, no matter what he was doing at the moment.

“Awana is the best thing our church has ever done to reach our community!” he exclaimed.
 
Deby left the Target store rejoicing that God had chosen to bless her with Charlie and Joyce’s story and that she has the opportunity to work at Awana every day, sharing in the vision to reach boys, girls, moms and dads all over the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
Cubbie in North Carolina excels at memorizing God’s Word

Cubbie Ian G., only 4 years old, has already learned 164 Bible verses in three Awana books this year. In fact, he quoted 36 verses in one night alone. Not only has he learned his verses, but this star performer has completed all the “Under the Apple Tree” sections in the books. 

Peggy Woody, his teacher at Lebanon Baptist Church in North Carolina, is thrilled with Ian’s progress. As you can see from the photo, he has earned all the patches available to Cubbies. 

One home visit creates ripple effect of children coming to Christ

It was the desire of our Awana club that each Awana family receive a Christmas gift that would place the gospel into the home. The Hope DVD by Mars Hill was the perfect gift. 

Each DVD was given to those attending Awana the last club night before Christmas. There were still quite a few left that were not delivered. They were mainly for children that had only come to Awana once or twice and dropped out. Such was the case with one girl I will call "Janelle." The director of Sparks (K-2 program) and I decided one Tuesday after Christmas that we would deliver these DVDs to their homes. 

As we approached the apartment where Janelle lived, it was dark but loud with music. We nervously knocked on the door. After what seemed like an eternity, an intimidating shirtless man answered the door. We asked if this was the home of Janelle, to which he commented, "Yes." We handed the DVD to him, asked him to deliver it to her and quickly departed. 

The next week at Awana, Janelle returned. It was so exciting to see her back. I told her how much we missed her and were so glad to see her return. The following week she brought her neighbor. After a few more weeks, she brought her cousin. The following week her cousin brought a friend. Today each girl has made a decision to trust Christ as Savior. 

What a blessed ripple effect from one home visit!

Zane Williams, T&T Director
First Baptist Church
Pearsall, Texas

‘Thinking outside the box’ pays off during Awana Grand Prix

Philip Rakoci, a mild-mannered wildlife lecturer by day, turns into an amazing woodworker during Awana Grand Prix season at Victory Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona. Both the parents and the kids in the Rakoci family have been entering theme-centered cars in the race for the last nine years. 

One year, they designed “arthropod” cars: a praying mantis, centipede on a skateboard, butterfly and scorpion. Another time, it was sea creatures with hammerhead shark, orca whale and octopus cars.

This year, they decided to do something different and see what the family members could dream up on their own.   

“I picked ‘Optimus Prime,’ the semi truck from the movie ‘Transformers,’ which prompted my 4-year-old son Archie to make ‘Bumble Bee,’ the infamous Camaro from the same movie,” Philip said. “As we started the design process, Archie asked me how our Grand Prix cars were going to transform into robots. My immediate answer was that they couldn't really transform.  

“Then we started thinking ‘outside the box’ or more correctly ‘off the track.’ I designed and cut the pieces, and then we each sanded, painted, and assembled our individual cars. Our Awana club gives awards for both car and novelty designs in each of the age groups. Needless to say, my son and I both won first place in our age divisions for novelty design. One of my daughters also won first place novelty design honors in the Sparks division for her mermaid car. But the talk of the day was the guys' Transformers.”

27 Sparkies accept Christ at Medinah Baptist

Wednesday, December 10 was a special night for the Sparks (kindergarten through second grade) program at Medinah (Illinois) Baptist Church. After hearing a lesson from Nancy White, 27 Sparkies accepted Jesus Christ as Savior! 

“As I reached the podium, what seemed like the entire four small groups of kids listened to the invitation and came forward,” first-year Sparks Director David Wrobel said. “I started crying. This was a night like I had never experienced.”
 
It caught David by surprise as he was going about business as usual that night. 

“Funny, all year I felt prepared with how we would lay out an invitation, how we would connect with the family afterwards, how we would document it, how we would follow up,” David recalled. “Then in an unexpected moment, I had none of that ready to go. But a great moment happened without my clipboard and checklists.”

That makes 28 kids who have placed their trust in Christ for their salvation so far this year at Medinah Baptist – over half of the 50-plus children in the church’s Sparks program!

Sparks is ‘the most fantastic program,’ a Sparks leader raves 

“They call the children Sparkies. They really sparkle – they’re a light for the Lord,” says Assistant Sparks Leader Catherine Fields. “It’s the most fantastic program. I wish every church had it.”

Catherine’s favorite part of the Awana ministry at Lighthouse Evangelical Free Church in Hackensack, Minnesota, is working with the children and seeing them learn God’s Word.

“The ministry is a total blessing,” she shared. “Seeing their happy smiles and that I’m giving them the truth of God and that I’ll see them in heaven is a delight. Awana goes verse by verse. It’s more than just a Sunday school. These children don’t have to be there but they want to be there.” 

All kids are valued at Awana in International Falls, Minnesota

“They all feel welcome at Awana. They want to come. We want to embrace them,” said T&T Listener Jill Austin. 

Jill has been involved in the Awana ministry for over 14 years. Her club at Evangelical Covenant Church in International Falls, Minnesota, ministers to many special needs and unchurched kids each week. 

“When we have help, it’s great,” Jill confided. “When you have needy children who need one-on-one attention, that makes it hard. Learning the verses is very challenging for some of them.” 

But Jill counts it a blessing to reach out to these kids – especially when they absorb the lesson. 

“I had a really good conversation with one of the kids,” Jill recalled. “He has learning and behavior disabilities. One question in the book asked how you show your love for God. He said, ‘Pray like the Lord’s Prayer?’ I told him that you can talk to God like you’re talking to me. He was amazed. He was a perfect boy the rest of the evening. I praise God for the opportunity to touch his heart. 

“We have the privilege of spending time with them working on the verses and in God’s Word. I just pray that God will bury those truths in their hearts and that someday they will become real to them.”

Sparks director who feared change loves HangGlider

Bonnie Linden does not like change. In fact, it scares her. As Sparks director for the past 16 years at Camden Baptist Church in Wellington, Ohio, that’s exactly how she felt when she heard Awana was coming out with the new HangGlider materials. 

Until she tried them.

“The new material is fantastic!” Bonnie said. “The HangGlider Handbooks are so colorful and fun. They make learning God's Word something to look forward to each day. The CDs were a brilliant idea. Kids and parents spend so much time in the car, and now they can use that time wisely.”

Bonnie’s autistic daughter, in her second year of Sparks, is the best testimony for the new materials. 

“Now she says at least two verses at a time to me with no helps (reference included),” Bonnie shared. “It is so much fun to listen to her. Our club also has a little boy who has Down syndrome. He loves his new book! He has already earned his book and vest. 

“Thank you, Awana, for making this new program. I am amazed at the number of kids who do not know the fundamentals of the Scriptures. We have so many kids that do not attend Sunday school or church. The only time they hear God's Word is in Awana.”

Family matters: Awana club leads kids, parents, grandparent to Christ 

Huron (South Dakota) Baptist Church only recently added Cubbies and Truth & Training to its Awana program. Two boys, a mother and an entire family are glad it did.
 
According to Pastor Mark Lafreniere, two T&T boys trusted Christ for salvation at a club meeting in October. A couple of weeks later, the parents and grandparents of a Cubbies clubber began attending Sunday services due to the impact Awana was having on the child. On November 2, the clubber's grandfather rededicated his life to Christ. That same week, the mother of another Cubbies clubber came to know Christ. "We started out with Sparks but have now been so blessed to have Cubbies and T&T!" Pastor Lafreniere says.
 
Sparks mom thrilled to see her son trust Christ for salvation in Awana

A parent of a Sparkie at Medinah (Illinois) Baptist Church wrote the following message to Awana:

"Awana is a great foundational program building in a fun way the truths of God's Word. Every Wednesday our son Jonny is so excited when he comes home from school to get his red Sparks vest on and count the time until he can go. This summer, after a family devotion, he made his first step of interest in knowing Jesus as his personal Savior. Last night at Awana he publicly raised his hand to become a child of God.

"How thrilled we are for this decision. We pray as parents we can keep building on his knowing and loving the Lord. May you know you are making a difference in the kingdom of God. Be sure to pass on our grateful hearts to you and the whole team there at Awana headquarters."

Sparkie uses Show and Tell to share the gospel at his public school

For nearly 60 years, the primary mission of Awana has been to reach children and youth with the gospel message. A boy named Justin, who is a Sparkie at a church in South Point, Ohio, epitomizes that evangelistic spirit.

Students in Justin's first-grade class at his public school are allowed to share four personal items during show and tell. When Justin's turn came, he brought a football, Bible, Awana bracelets and Awana bookmarks featuring the God's Only Way to Heaven salvation message on the back and his church's contact information on the front. This was nothing new for Justin. He sometimes takes his Bible and wears his Sparks vest to school.

After Justin gave his presentation, he handed out bracelets and bookmarks to each student and passed around his Bible for everyone to see. Thank the Lord for evangelism-minded youth like Justin and the Awana leaders who are stoking his fervor for sharing Christ at a young age!

Sparky out milking cows in Des Moines? Yes, in the Where's Sparky?! contest

The Where’s Sparky?! program is off to a good start. One hundred Sparky pictures have been sent to registered clubs and will be making their way around the country.

Grace Community Church from Pleasant Hill, Iowa, was one of the first to submit Sparky’s photo at an area landmark. They chose the Anderson Erickson Dairy in Des Moines. If you look at the photo closely, you can see our favorite firefly on the big cow’s bell. “He sat on the small and the large cow. Even attempted to milk the cow,” said Grace Community. “We will now be sending him off to Alaska. He has a long trip.”

Don’t forget to follow Sparky’s progress in the Where's Sparky?! forums. Click on photos on the top menu to see more Sparky pictures.  

View Sparky on a giant cow 

Long-time Awana commander earns Citation Award

High school students aren’t the only ones earning the Citation Award these days. Diane Pate, a grandmother and Awana commander for 13 years, just had the privilege of earning hers last year.

That was on top of the Excellence, Timothy and Meritorious awards she already possessed.

Diane has a long history with Awana. When her children were young, she started out as a Cubbies leader. Then she moved to Salinas, California, to be the outreach pastor for Salinas Valley Community Church, where she was asked to start an Awana program. She’s still on staff at the church today along with her husband, who is the care pastor. 

All of that time in Awana has made an impact on Diane’s life. “Memorizing and meditating on Scripture has been so helpful to me on a daily basis,” she shared. “Typically, the verses I’m learning apply to the daily challenges of my day or to the people I’m counseling. Constantly learning Scripture keeps me focused on God’s point of view rather than a worldly viewpoint. As a pastor, this is crucial to keeping myself strong in faith and being able to help others.”

The training has been so helpful that even after Diane finished her Citation requirements over a year ago, she decided to start all over again! “This time I’m doing the new leader’s version, “ she said. “These books keep me current in the basics of my faith and keep me from straying. They also keep my passion for evangelism hot.”

Diane and her husband are the type of people who “walk their talk,” not only in the public eye at church but at home, too. “My husband and I read through the Bible and pray together every morning,” Diane said. “We belong to a couple of small groups and thus have friends who pray with us and keep us accountable to live holy lives before God. And we get the privilege of leading our church in reaching out to our community with the message of Christ’s love.”

Diane is thankful that her involvement in Awana allows her to influence the lives of children.

“If not for Awana, now that my children are grown, I probably would not have this opportunity,” Diane said. “I would not miss the joy of sharing Christ with children for anything!”

All four of Diane’s children have been involved in Awana and have served as Awana leaders. Next year, her 3-year-old grandson will start in Cubbies. It’s clear that Awana has made a difference in Diane’s life.

“Awana has helped me to learn Scripture memory as a way of life, and I see myself doing it throughout my life. It keeps me close to God,” Diane said. “I always recommend Awana to others so that they can become wholly devoted Christ followers.”

Alabama Awana club awards antique hydrant to fire department

From the Prattville Progress: 
The tornado that struck Prattville in February of this year has had a lasting impact on the community in a variety of ways. Some were left with scars that will take years to heal while others were left with great respect for the first responders who came to the city's rescue.

Vickie Morrison, who is a member of Fountain of Grace Church on McQueen Smith Road in Prattville, coordinated an extension program for the church's Awana girls’ class. Darlene Leistner, who is the wife of the church's associate pastor, Phil Leistner, helped Morrison with the program, which they called G.R.I.T. (Girls Raised in Truth), and which focused the girls on service projects for the community and other activities designed to teach them valuable skills.

Because of the help that local firefighters, particularly those from Station 3, gave residents during the tornado, Morrison decided that the G.R.I.T. service project would be to honor them.

Many members of the church lived in the tornado-affected areas and some lost their homes as well, including Morrison's, whose home in Highland Lake Apartments was hit hard.

On Sept. 20, Morrison, Leistner, and the six G.R.I.T. girls awarded a certificate of appreciation, as well as fresh baked cookies to several of the firefighters.

"We had a wonderful time meeting and spending part of our afternoon with the guys," Morrison said. "It was an exceptional opportunity."

The most unique aspect of the service project was that, along with the certificate of appreciation, the girls also gave the fire department an antique fire hydrant.

According to Morrison, the home that she and her husband purchased contained an old fire hydrant in the yard being used as a tombstone for a family pet.

"We found it when we cleaned the property," she said. "It was museum quality and was used at one time. It's probably from the 1950s or older."

Morrison had the hydrant cleaned and painted and offered it to the Fire Department for its collection of fire memorabilia.

Another community project that Women of Grace, which is a women's group at Fountain of Grace church, is currently doing is an outreach program that ensures a housewarming basket is delivered to any resident whose tornado-damaged home is rebuilt.

Mom declares of updated K-2 program, 'Thank you for Sparks!'

I LOVE this program. I have never seen my 5-year-old son so excited about the things of the Lord. He looks forward to learning his new verses, shows an interest in getting to know the Bible and listens to his Sparks CD over and over. He has learned so much in just a few weeks, and I see him making connections from the Scriptures to his every-day life.

For example, today our family was having a discussion about speaking different languages, and he said, "Do you know how the languages got made in the world?" The next thing I know, he came running out with his CD player to show us all the Tower of Babel chapter of his Sparks handbook and play the track for us on his CD. It's really amazing and exciting for me as a parent. Thank you for Sparks!

Lyn Delano
Morningview Baptist Church
Montgomery, Alabama

Church uses Awana to help drive growth

In the past year, City View First Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina, has celebrated 37 baptisms and added 50 new members to its congregation. Pastor Mike Runion couldn’t be more thrilled. "God designed the church to grow. The only thing that keeps the church from growing is us," says Runion.

Much of City View’s growth has its roots in a strong youth program. The church’s Awana program includes 100 to 120 kids and volunteers each Wednesday evening during the school year. The general willingness of the membership to minister helps things run smoothly.

Runion is appreciative both of the people and the outreach provided by ministries such as Awana.

"God has shown his blessings on this place, hand over fist," Runion says. "It's not because of what we do and certainly not because of what the pastor is doing. This is just a great church with a lot of people who have a heart for the ministry."

Major League ballplayer trusted Christ when he was Awana clubber

Brian Bannister is one of the top young pitchers in Major League baseball. The 6-foot-2 right-hander finished third in the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year Award voting and has enjoyed a strong start this year. Brian is also a Christian who helps lead the Kansas City Royals’ team Bible study.

“Not only is he rock-solid, but he has a passion for Christ,” Royals co-chaplain Rod Handley said.

Bannister, who trusted in Christ for salvation at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Bible Church’s Awana club while growing up, sees his career as a vehicle for fulfilling the Great Commission. He has shared his faith to poor kids and gang members at a Brooklyn (N.Y.) church and at his old high school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes group. But his biggest mission field is the Royals’ locker room.

“Baseball is a hectic lifestyle,” Bannister said. “It’s tough on relationships and families. Even though these guys have material things, they’re missing out on Christ. So God has really given me an opportunity to share with guys.”

Read Brian's full story in the Baptist Press

Cubbies’ gift keeps on giving

Cori Lewis wanted her Cubbies to learn a lesson about sharing God’s love. Little did Cori realize that God was going to turn the tables and teach Cori a lesson she would not soon forget.

As Cori thought about a potential project, her brother-in-law, Nathan, who is serving in the military in Iraq, came to mind. A plan quickly formed for Cori’s Cubbies to collect sundries for Nathan and his buddies.

When Chuck and Judy Doyle, commanders at Alderwood Community Church in Lynnwood, Washington, heard of the plan, they decided to let the entire Awana ministry get behind it. The other club directors helped create a list of supplies and encouraged their clubbers to support the troops.

Cori was overwhelmed when more than 250 pounds of supplies were brought to the church. “I was speechless,” Cori said. “God laid it on my heart that we should share this amazing gift with another solider.” One of the other club directors mentioned a second soldier to send supplies to, and the trove of gifts was evenly divided.

Seven large boxes of supplies were piled on a hand truck for the trip to the post office. As Cori pondered how to get the large load from her home to the postal center one block away, her cell phone rang. Cori’s friend Kim Johnson, a fellow Awana leader at Alderwood, was downtown waiting for an appointment and had an hour on her hands. Cori explained the situation, and Kim gladly helped Cori steer the unruly hand truck down the hilly street to the post office.

Cori and Kim explained to the clerk behind the counter where the packages were going. Chuckling, the worker mentioned that the postal service provides a flat rate box for military deliveries that would save a great deal of money over shipping large boxes. Cori and Kim were silent for a few moments as the realization set in that they would have to repack everything into new boxes. Under the curious gaze of postal customers, the two went to work in the post office lobby until Kim needed to leave for her appointment. Cori finished the job, and soon the supplies were on their way.

Even the adventure in the post office had its blessings. As customers noticed the military care packages, they struck up conversations with Cori, who had the opportunity to share her story again and again. “I even spent time talking to the clerk in the post office about what our church had done,” Cori said. “So not only did our kids get to show Christ’s love to our soldiers, but it gave me an opportunity in the post office to show it as well. What an amazing gift!”

Out of the mouth of a child

First Baptist Church of Bullard, Texas describes itself as “Ordinary People, Extraordinary God.” One of those “ordinary people” is Diala Bouriaq, a 6-year-old girl. Diala enjoyed her experience as a first-year Sparkie, especially Bible memorization. Diala completed her Skipper handbook shortly after the New Year.

In early February, Diala suffered a severe seizure and was taken to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. It was there that Diala and those around her began to experience the second part of First Baptist’s tagline – an extraordinary God.

Diala underwent a number of tests to determine the cause of the seizure and assess the seizure’s effect on her mental capacities. Professors and students from a nearby medical school frequent the hospital. During her stay, a neurology professor and several students paid a visit. They asked Diala questions and to perform simple physical tasks for evaluation. The professor noticed the red Skipper handbook on Diala’s bed and began a conversation with her father, Joel, who was also in the room.

Upon hearing that Diala had committed all of the Bible verses in the handbook to memory, the professor asked one of his students to test her memory. Flipping open the handbook, the student asked Diala to recite “John 14 colon 6.” Another student corrected him, “Say it like John fourteen-six.”

Diala quoted the verse perfectly, then asked the student if he knew John 3:16.  “No, why don’t you tell me what it says,” replied the student. After another flawless recitation, Diala looked at the student. “You need to memorize that verse,” Diala admonished.

It was only later that her father realized the impact of that moment. “I realized that the two verses (contained) the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Joel said. “A 6-year-old little girl had just witnessed to a team of neurologists.”

Diala was released later that day and her family thought the story ended there. Two weeks later, however, Diala was rushed back to Children’s Medical Center after suffering more seizures and a rapid heart rate. Doctors induced a coma in order to run tests, which revealed a viral infection deep within Diala’s brain.

Diala awoke with paralysis on the right side of her body and was unable to speak. People from several area churches upheld Diala in prayer. Within a few days, Diala’s paralysis disappeared, and she was able to walk and run. However, her speech was still absent with one exception. Diala’s doctors discovered that she could speak from memory. Diala could sing songs that she knew as well as recite Bible verses she had learned.

During her stay at Children’s Medical Center, Diala would stroll the halls singing the books of the Bible and reciting verses from her Sparks handbook while still unable to speak simple words and phrases. A speech therapist began using her Awana handbooks to aid in her speech therapy.

Diala is back home trying to relearn how to talk. While she still cannot speak anything except memorized songs and verses, Diala’s family remains hopeful. “Without Awana and the Bible verses she learned, she would be almost completely silent,” Joel said. “The Bible verses give her a foundation to start relearning how to speak and a starting point for the therapist to work with. God’s Word is powerful and amazing.”

High Power Soccer more than doubles VBS attendance at Ohio church

Instead of running their usual week-long Vacation Bible School last summer, the Vineyard Community Church in Wickliffe, Ohio, decided to give Awana High Power™ Soccer a try. After learning all they needed to know from the Director’s Kit, they turned their church property into a soccer camp. Awana Commander and High Power Head Coach Michael Reese was impressed with how easy it was. “The Director's Kit provided all the materials (leader manuals, teaching skills, performing skits and songs, etc.) that we needed to run the soccer program. Only things we needed to provide were the volunteers, the facility (our church and property), basic soccer equipment (cones and nets we borrowed) and balls.”

They were all ready to go on the first day of camp, expecting their usual VBS attendance, when the unexpected happened. So many kids turned up, they had to make some quick changes to accommodate them all! “The attendance far exceeded expectations,” Michael reported. “Normally we have about 60 kids on the last day, after encouraging them to bring a friend each day (with candy bar incentives for the kids and guests). We had over 125 kids attend. Many came more than one day. Also, about three-quarters of the kids were from outside of our church.” Michael was further encouraged by the response on the fourth day. “Many of the kids came forward to ask questions and/or learn more about Jesus.”

High Power Soccer turned out to be a great summer program for Vineyard Community Church. Michael is excited about what the Lord will do through the program this year. In fact, he has already ordered the theme materials for their second season. “Many of our kids are already asking if we are going to do the soccer program again,” he said. “They still enjoy the worship songs and often request that we play them (along with doing the motions that we created) at both our Sunday morning children’s worship and/or Awana meetings. Our thanks to the Awana ministry for providing a unique sports outreach program that enables us to reach our youth -– both in our church and surrounding neighborhoods!”

Grandma B’s mission field: T&T materials present the opportunity to lead kids to Christ

The Start Zone – T&T club’s entrance booklet – is a favorite of Carol Buchwalter of the Orrville Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Orrville, Ohio. Carol, who is known to the kids as “Grandma B,” especially loves Section 7. “It is written to explain the plan of salvation,” Carol said, further explaining that it sets up an opportunity for a child to trust Christ as Savior.

Most recently, Grandma B had the privilege of leading Hope Miller, a sixth-grader who had just recently begun to attend Awana at Orrville C&MA, to accept Christ. According to Carol, many of the children she guides through the Start Zone readily express a desire to be saved or relate that they had previously trusted Christ. For those who profess that they had already made a decision for Christ, Carol asks a few questions to be sure they understand how Jesus became their Savior.

Like other children whom Carol has led to the Lord, Hope will be regularly upheld in prayer. “I will continue to pray for her to grow in the Lord and never to be ashamed of Jesus as her Lord and Savior,” Carol said.

Grandma B cannot imagine a more rewarding mission field than working with children. “The harvest is plentiful,” Carol said. “Praise God!”

Trek teen goes above and beyond to support kids through Adopt-a-Club

I've been challenging my Trek kids to bring an offering each week to support a club in the Philippines through Adopt-a-Club. Each week the students plug a dollar into the soda machine when they could give that money to Jesus to be used overseas. Some have skipped the soda to give to Adopt-a-Club.

Our church has been in a series of sermons on tithing and loving Jesus through giving and becoming an offering of obedience ourselves. Last week I upped the challenge to bring enough of an offering over the course of the year to have enough to support a new club from just the giving of our Trek group.

At our church of 900, my wife and I are the Sunday school superintendents. One responsibility we have is attendance collection. As I collected the attendance for the seventh-grade boys class, I made a plug for kids to attend Trek, which we hold on Sunday evenings. One boy piped up, "Don't forget your offering for Adopt-a-Club." At that moment, one boy chimed in, "I can't bring an offering. I am saving for a (PlayStation Personal) PSP." Without thinking I said, "When was the last time a PSP helped someone come to know Jesus?" Little did I know that this child would react the way he did.

That afternoon, God convicted the teen that he should give all the money he had saved doing odd jobs this summer for a PSP. He prayed about it and revealed this to his parents. His parents attempted to discourage him but ultimately left the decision to him. After he arrived at Trek that night, he immediately pulled me aside to share his decision. As I tried to discourage him, he was adamant about his decision. I asked him about talking with a parent, and he assured me that he talked to them right after he had talked with God. During Large Group Time, I accepted his $165 gift to be used to support an Awana club in the Philippines.

However, the story does not end there. As I was sharing this incredible obedience with our high school LITs during a leadership meeting, one of my upperclassmen told me that he had a PSP that he doesn't use anymore and that he would like to give it to this Trek boy. We immediately ran to his house to get it and returned to the church. I handed the anonymous PSP to the parents of the boy who gave his PSP money to Adopt-a-Club. I look forward to seeing the impact this act of giving has in our Awana program and church.

Dan Novak, Commander
Westside Baptist Church
Waynesville, Missouri

Commander College reveals God at work

In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby said that knowing God comes through a relationship with a person--—an intimate love relationship with God. And through this relationship, God reveals Himself and invites us to join Him where He is already at work.

Kelvin and Nancy Smith of St. Paul, Nebraska, discovered the significance of those words when they saw how God was working through Commander College. They observed commanders not only receiving training but life change as well. “Commander College 101 helped me to refocus my love for Christ,” Kelvin said, “receiving a new energy and strength to go back to my leaders and listeners with hope and renewed passion for sharing the gospel.”

High Power Soccer program the catalyst for revitalizing a church

The Awana program at Valley Bible Church in San Marcos, California, goes back nearly three decades but had seen recent attendance dwindle. Commander Peggy Hansen, a veteran Awana leader who began serving in the mid-1970s, knew that something had to be done to give the program a shot in the arm. Peggy and others at Valley Bible made the situation an item for prayer. Then one morning, a packet of information for Awana High Power^TM Soccer arrived at the church.

“I was sitting in our Awana office opening mail when I opened the Awana letter concerning the soccer camp,” Peggy said. “It read that you didn't need soccer skills, just a field and an enthusiastic group of kids to learn the game.” Peggy glanced out the office window and for the first time really took note of a vacant field across the street from the church.

Peggy prayed as to whether High Power Soccer was the direction that the church should take. She consulted with her pastor, who gave her a thumbs up to proceed. The church’s youth pastor helped find volunteers among the teenagers of the church. The Catholic school that owned the vacant field readily gave the church permission to hold the soccer camp on its property.

Having made the commitment to run a High Power Soccer program, Peggy asked the church to begin praying for the outreach ministry. Things rapidly began to fall in place. A former pro soccer player in the church learned of the plans and volunteered to help. Until then, he had attended the church for more than two years but had not gotten involved in any of its ministries.

The local school board declined to let the church pass out fliers to the children, but that did not faze Peggy and the volunteers around her. They planned to hold their camp the week after school dismissed for the summer, before kids had a chance to settle into other activities. The camp was organized into age groups that corresponded to Cubbies, Sparks and T&T-age kids. College students led the devotionals. High-school teens led the worship. Parents volunteered to help each day with registration and provide snacks. The program drew 35 children who had never come to the church before. Parents were invited to watch the last hour’s activity each day. The church’s Evangelism Explosion team used that opportunity to get to know the unchurched parents.

“It was a lot of work setting up cones and laying out the field every day,” Peggy said. “Yet it was worth every minute, and the Lord supplied many hands and it was fun to be together.”

The last day of camp, 12 children trusted Christ as their Savior.

The following Sunday, the camp participants were honored in the morning church service. Peggy earnestly prayed that 30 kids and 18 families would attend. “The Lord surprised us with more,” Peggy said.

The pastor proclaimed High Power Soccer as the largest and most successful outreach for the church that year.

But the story doesn’t end there. The following Wednesday, the Evangelism Explosion teams visited the unchurched families. A mom and dad trusted Christ after an evangelism team and the couple’s own two boys, who were saved at the High Power Soccer camp, shared the gospel with them. That family is now a vital part of the church. Most of the new kids from camp joined Valley Bible’s Awana program in September. The soccer pro continues to volunteer for ministries within the church. Another first-time volunteer at the soccer camp is now the Awana game director. Bridges that were built between the teenage and adult volunteers continue to flourish.

Peggy is eagerly looking forward to what the Lord has in store for Valley Bible Church as she lays plans for their second High Power Soccer camp. “What a joy this camp has been to us,” Peggy said. “Everyone involved saw the Lord at work each day, and with each step of dependence on Him, their faith grew. What more could we ask of our Lord?”

Awana draws NFL player’s family to church

Phil Dawson knows all about pressure. As a kicker for the Cleveland Browns, Phil is often called upon for game-ending heroics and, as his career field goal percentage attests, regularly comes through for his team and the City of Cleveland. Phil and his family are also committed to the long-term heroics of regularly serving the Lord in their home church, Grace Baptist of Westlake, Ohio. Phil is also aware of the continuous struggle of trying to live out his Christian faith in the locker rooms of the NFL.

Phil’s wife, Shannon, previously discovered the church’s Awana program and had started bringing their children when Phil was away at training camp. Then the whole family began attending on Sundays and joined the church.

Pastor Greg Whiting, who has been pastor of Grace Baptist since 2005, appreciates the Dawsons’ sense of ministry. “I think a lot of athletes look for bigger churches. Phil and Shannon were looking for a place to minister and serve.”

Revival breaks out in Georgia church; parents trust Christ through Awana

A year and a half ago, Harbor Lights Baptist Church in Lafayette, Georgia, had a for-sale sign on the outside and eight discouraged members on the inside. Today, the 68 people attending the church are anything but discouraged after a revival meeting -- initially scheduled for four days -- extended to 12 days, with 29 people making professions of faith in Christ.

"I've never experienced anything quite like this," said vocational evangelist Mark Yoho, the revival preacher. "It was a God-sent revival, definitely. The presence of God was so strong. People were lying flat on the floor just weeping all over the house when the revival broke."

One of the decisions during the revival included the mother of an 11-year-old boy who was upset that her son wasn't outside waiting to be picked up after the Wednesday night Awana meeting. That's because he was in the church, where the invitation lasted 45 minutes.

The boy told his mother he'd become a Christian, but she doubted he knew what he'd done, according to Jim Powell, the pastor of Harbor Lights Baptist. The boy found his Awana leader, who read a tract to the mother explaining how her son became a Christian.

The mom put her trust in Christ as her Savior that night.

Another mother entered the church during the extended invitation, saw her two daughters near the front of the auditorium praying and recommitted her life to Christ. Yet another mother and her two sons accepted Christ as well as a 60-year-old man and several high-school students.

Report courtesy of the Baptist Press 

‘I see smiles’

Happy faces are taken for granted at Commander Lauri Bogart’s Awana program at Grace Fellowship Church in York, Pennsylvania. Lauri explained that as she stood at the secretary’s check-in table last week, the mother of a clubber came in with her family's 10-year-old neighbor boy. While the mom filled out the boy’s registration form, the boy said, to no one in particular, “I see smiles.” Lauri turned around to see what the boy was talking about and found she was staring at a wall. The secretary, who was busy with other things, asked the boy, “I’m sorry. What did you say?"

“I see smiles. Lots of smiles,” replied the boy. The secretary also turned, only to see the same wall.

“No, not on the wall,” said the boy. “On you and you and him and her. Everybody here is smiling.”

After a good laugh, Lauri told the boy, “That’s because we’re at Awana. It’s fun here. You’ll be smiling by the end of the night, too.” 

And he was.